Coded Flirtations
by Admiral T. DeVanto
Summary: There are many ways to express affection for one another, and Hanji, Petra, and Nanaba have come up with a scheme to express their attraction through coded handkerchiefs. The only problem is, the men have not been let in on the hidden meaning behind their codes, and it is driving them crazy.
1. Chapter 1

Some things were fun when they were simple. Yet, some things were entertaining when they were complicated and secretive.

Flirting was one of those things Hanji found and managed to complicate.

It had all started with a simple little book, and it was all Hanji's fault to begin with. Well, technically, it was Petra's and Nanaba's fault for encouraging and agreeing to her little plan in the first place. But still, it had all started with Hanji and a book in the first place. Hanji did not explain where and how she had found the documentary on 'Coded Flirting,' but that did not matter to anyone at the moment. All they saw was an opportunity to have fun and stir up some mischief.

Apparently, the book explained the series of codes women back in the day would use with hats, gloves, umbrellas and handkerchiefs. Whether or not any of the coded messages had been used did not matter at the moment. What did matter was that Hanji had found a new code to crack, and she was eager to try it out on her test subjects.

The test subjects, meaning, the unprepared men.

Nanaba, Petra and Hanji would meet up in private to go over the different subtle signs of flirting involving handkerchiefs, and they all decided to stick with the simple basics to confuse their victims.

To say they were up to mischief was an understatement.

They were going to have some fun.

They did not expect an immediate reaction during the first few days. It was understandable to them that it would take time for the men to notice their subtle flirting and seek out answers. But Hanji was confident that the men would take notice soon enough. She knew Erwin would be left in a state of confusion, and Levi would be left flustered and short tempered. She was uncertain how Mike would react though, but Nanaba had just waved a hand with a simple "Leave it to me," statement before flouncing off in search for her victim with her new handkerchief in hand.

It had been agreed that Patra, Nanaba and Hanji would branch out to any man who approached them. They would always have their handkerchiefs in hand, displaying their silent coded messages with a simple white cloth.

But as for Hanji, Petra and Nanaba, they were targeting three particular men at the end of the day.

It took about a week of relentless handkerchief twirling, dropping and signals, but before long, they got results.

It was actually Hanji who got the first reaction, and it had taken all of her willpower to resist smiling gleefully.

Erwin had been listening quite intently to Nile's speech. What the speech was about, Hanji had no clue, as she had lost all interest in what he was speaking about the minute the man droned on about the need to recruit more troops.

In her boredom, she had pulled out her handkerchief and had started dabbing at her lips. Erwin's eyes flickered over to her, but he looked back at what Nile was speaking about just as quickly.

Hanji just sighed loudly, causing Erwin's eyes to flicker back to her. She continued to dab at her lips, also hiding her smirk with the white cloth.

Yes, she would often do this whenever Erwin was around, yet he was only now taking notice. Especially when she was dabbing her lips.

" _I desire an acquaintance."_

Hanji watched with faint amusement as Erwin's eyes kept flickering to her, and he looked like he wanted to say something, but refrained from doing so.

This was not the first time Hanji had performed such an act. But it was the first time Erwin had finally taken notice of it. Thrilled with the results, she decided to take it a step further.

She placed the handkerchief on opposite corners of her hand, watching as Erwin glanced at her in confusion. She winked at him playfully, causing him to blink once more.

" _Do wait for me."_

Erwin's face turned a light shade of pink as she continued to dab at her lips before putting the handkerchief back. She then focused on Nile's speech as if it was the most interesting thing in the world while Erwin was successfully distracted and confused.

At the end of the meeting, Hanji calmly walked out of the room, aware that Erwin was heading toward her. She did her best to conceal her grin, trying to look natural.

"Hanji," he started, reaching her. He looked at a loss of what to properly say, which was unusual for him. But she decided she liked that vulnerable, uncertain look. It meant only she was able to make him look so flustered.

He cleared his throat. "Are you-?"

"Shh," Hanji said, a twinkle in her eye, feeling bold as she pressed a finger to his lips. "Don't speak of it here." She pulled back and flicked the handkerchief over her shoulder, giving him a very saucy grin.

" _Follow me."_

He blinked. "What?" he demanded. "Speak of what?" But Hanji was already walking away, handkerchief still over her shoulder. Erwin was left to feel as if he had missed out on something very important as he watched her walk away.

Petra Ral, however, had branched out on her victims. When speaking with Oulo, she always had her handkerchief in hand, twisting it in the right of her hand.

" _I'm in love with another."_

She did it often enough, especially when Oulo acted out to try and get her attention. By the time she was on her third day of mischievousness, Oulo had ended up asking if she was nervous or feeling alright. In response, she would just smile at him and shake her head 'no.'

"What's going on here?" Levi asked as he entered the room to find Eld with his head in his hands while Gunther was moaning in despair.

"There he is," Petra said with a small grin as she glanced at Levi. She twisted the handkerchief in her right hand, smiling.

" _I am thinking of you."_

"Make her stop, captain!" Eld moaned.

"The poor thing is being twisted to death!" Gunther said, pointing accusingly at Petra.

Levi blinked. "What is being twisted to death?" He glanced at Petra with narrowed eyes, as if she had something to do with the mens despair.

Which, in reality, she did. But he did not know how involved she was in all the trouble.

She just smiled, drawing the handkerchief across her eyes.

" _I am sorry."_

"There she goes again!" Eld shrieked.

"I'm out," Gunther said, getting up and leaving. "There's some creepy unknown women stuff going on here that mankind was never meant to know!"

Petra drew the handkerchief over her forehead once more as Gunther and Eld scurried out of the room while Oulo stayed, blinking in confusion.

Levi narrowed his eyes at his retreating men before turning to Petra as he folded his arms.

"Talk," he said simply.

She just smiled, ducking her head and peering at him beneath her lashes. "Captian, I do not know what I have done to send them in such a tizzy." She drew the handkerchief across her lips.

" _Let's flirt with each other."_

Hanji had insisted that there was a major difference between dabbing your lips and drawing a handkerchief across your lips. Petra and the others had practiced until they got the movements just right, and she was quite pleased with herself that it came naturally.

Levi blinked. "Tizzy?" he repeated. "Who uses the word 'tizzy' anymore?"

"I must confess," she continued. "It bothers me that I can not get a clear message across." She drew the handkerchief across her cheek, finally looking up at him with an innocent smile.

" _I love you."_

Levi blinked before looking away. "A pity," he mumbled. "I could have used whatever technique you were using on them."

Her smile grew as she put the handkerchief in her pocket, turning away.

" _No more love at present."_

"Believe me, captain, I think you would succeed in making them miserable," she said.

Like Hanji, Nanaba restricted her torment to just one man as well.

She spent most of her time dropping her handkerchief in front of Mike, smiling bashfully as she did so.

" _We will be friends."_

It came to a point where Mike dove after the handkerchief, snatching it away from the ground before she could grab it. She let out a yelp when he did so, his movements catching her by surprise. He straightened up, dusting the handkerchief off before handing it back to her.

"Here," he said simply, staring at her.

She blinked, before a slow, small smile spread across her face. She accepted the handkerchief back. "Thank you, my good sir," she said.

He gave her a small smile. "Might need a new one. It's dirty from all the dropping."

She grinned back, touching her right cheek with the handkerchief.

" _Yes."_

With that, she turned on her heel, still grinning as a new idea formed in her head.

It was time to turn up the heat.

The next time she was with Mike, it was on the training grounds. A recruit had gotten rather rash, earning Mike's chastising. She had never seen him so visibly upset, and it surprised her. Yet when he turned to address her, she had taken note of how his whole demeanor had changed. He became relaxed, subdued even.

That earned a coded message that only she understood.

She placed her handkerchief over her right ear when Mike was speaking with her, the move natural casual.

" _How you have changed."_

She took note of how Mike had frowned in confusion. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking around uncertainly.

That had caused her to laugh, increasing his confusion.

She had also used it on a very rude and pompous MP, who did not take a simple 'no' for an answer. His pickup lines and attempts at romance were enough to make anyone groan, yet Nanaba just simply twirled the handkerchief in both hands.

" _I am not interested. Get lost."_

This movement was followed by a quick, sharp smack when the MP got too close, and Nanaba twirled on her heel and stalked away, handkerchief in hand while the MP stared at her in shock. Gelgar had simply grinned at her actions while Mike smirked.

But Hanji branched out in her victims as well, and Levi was so much easier to poke fun at than Erwin.

She had of course been hounding him about Eren's Titan shifting abilities, her excitement causing her to speak rapidly. Normally, Hanji would notice when Levi was in a bad mood and worn out from the day. But today, she was way too excited about her topic, her volume increasing as her words became jumbled.

Her dirty hand on his shoulder also added fuel to the fire.

"Listen to me, Four-Eyes," he snapped, ducking out of the way of her dirty hand as his eyes narrowed. His mouth was open, ready to let her have it, but he was cut off by Hanji's sudden cry as she collapsed to the ground in a dramatic heap.

In reality, her reaction was instant, as if she was wired for it. The handkerchief was in her hand and out of her pocket before Levi had time to blink.

"Oh!" she wailed, placing the handkerchief over her eyes as she moaned in despair. "How could you?"

" _You are so cruel."_

Levi could only blink at the moaning woman on the ground in a heap at his feet. Not to mention, the strange display with handkerchief that was covering her face added to his bewilderment.

He narrowed his eyes. "Something is up," he growled.

"What did you do?" Moblit demanded, rushing to the scene that was displayed in front of him.

Levi was still standing over a moaning Hanji who had a handkerchief over her face. He stepped over her with a huff, muttering something unintelligible under his breath.

The fun for Hanji only grew as Erwin strove for answers. After much handkerchief flickering, Erwin finally stood in front of Hanji, his face impassive.

"Hanji," he said, watching her rub the handkerchief in her hands. But he said nothing else, as if he did not know what to say.

Yes, this was bothering him. These weird movements seemed directed at him, and he saw the look in Hanji's face, as if she was waiting for something. But he did not know how else to ask her what was going on.

"How much more of a personal invitation do you need?" Hanji demanded suddenly, flickering the handkerchief over her shoulder with impatience.

" _Follow me."_

Erwin was not the only one who was confused. Nanaba was not stopping her handkerchief messages, and she enjoyed seeing Mike's increased confusion.

Mike watched helplessly as Nanaba folded the handkerchief, then stared at him with an expression that made him feel like she was expecting him to understand something.

" _I wish to speak with you."_

He swallowed uncomfortably, looking away as he wondered what to do.

Levi was also caught in this web of confusion as well. He had watched as Pixis, in his drunk state, spoke with Petra, his words slurred. Petra was just standing there, winding the handkerchief around her forefinger.

" _I am engaged."_

He had noticed that she would do that often enough with the other men, and he decided that he wanted to know what was going on. Though he vocally demanded answers, finally asking Petra in his blunt manner what she was doing with the worn out rag in her hands.

Instead of receiving a straight, verbal answer, Petra just drew the handkerchief across her brow.

" _Look, we are being watched."_

"Fine," he grumbled, retreating. No, wait, he was not retreating, but regrouping. He refused to use that cowardly word when it came to this situation. "Keep your secrets."

* * *

"Ladies," Hanji said with a grin when they were alone in the room. "I do believe it is time for us to branch out in our codes."

Nanaba grinned, running a hand through her short hair. "What do you have in mind?"

Hanji's response was to pull out three pairs of red gloves, her smile widening as they all looked at each other in understanding.

"Oh boy," Petra said with glee as she snatched at her pair. "I am going to have so much fun with these!"

And fun she did have.

The compliments on her nice new gloves died on her squadmates lips as she pulled out her nice gloves and zeroed in on Levi, her expression determined.

Petra put the tips of her gloves at her lips, ever the picture of sweet innocence. Her victim was on the immediate alert at her actions, visibly stiffening up.

" _Do you love me?"_

Levi blinked as he stopped drinking his tea, eyeing her with narrowed eyes. He shook a finger at her. "Whatever you want to say, just say it!"

She grinned. "But that's no fun," she whispered.

Levi narrowed his eyes at her before setting his cup down and leaning in. There was a challenge in his eyes, and she knew that once Levi dedicated himself to a challenge, there was no stopping him.

And right now, he was dedicated to finding her hidden messages.

She sucked in a breath as she stared at those grey eyes of his, feeling her heart pound a bit faster than usual. Her shaking hands found their way into her pocket before drawing out her handkerchief, yet they grew steady as she touched her cheek with it.

" _I love you."_

Levi grabbed her hand, stopping her, his eyes never leaving her face. "Whatever you are hiding, Petra Ral," he murmured softly. "I will find out."

She shivered as he pulled away, and she looked down, a small smirk growing on her face.

Hanji had also used her gloves on everyone as well. When inside the church with Moblit to speak with Pastor Nick, it had almost become instinct to pull out her gloves and twist them around in her hands.

Finally, she grew annoyed with Pastor Nick's dodging, cryptic answers, and she bit the tips of her gloves.

" _I wish to be rid of you very soon."_

To anyone, they would not think twice about it, but Pastor Nick had stopped speaking and abruptly smacked her hands, eyes wide as if scandalized.

"Do not use this improper coded language in the church," he hissed. "There are rules! You can use that code at balls, parties or outside in the training halls. But never in the church!"

Hanji's eyes widened as she stared at the man in shock while Moblit blinked in confusion. Slowly, she smiled as she regarded the older man before her. "So you know this language?" she asked.

He huffed, turning away. "I had to. It was a sinful requirement."

"Why?" she called out with a smirk, twirling the gloves in her hand. "Because you never got the chance to use it?"

Hanji was not the only one to encounter an outsider who was aware of the coded message. A senior officer had suddenly stopped and laughed, gesturing to Nanaba who was using her gloves as a fan.

" _Introduce me to your company."_

"Now that lady knows how to flirt," the officer said, nudging a confused Mike with a wink. "You lucky boy! You've got yourself a woman right there!"

Nanaba just grinned in amusement as Mike turned to stare at Nanaba as the officer sauntered away. "Are you flirting?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nanaba just reached for her handkerchief, touching her right cheek.

" _Yes."_

Mike just blinked, turning to look away as he tried to understand the hidden meaning.

* * *

"Ban the handkerchiefs," Mike growled as he stormed into the office, his stare intense.

Erwin looked up at him with a frown. "You too?"

"Oh yeah," Mike said, collapsing in a chair, head in his hands. "At first it was the simple things. She would drop the handkerchief on the ground in front of me before picking it back up. I thought it was a silent question, like how those noble ladies drop their handkerchief for their lovers to pick up. But then Nanaba started doing these…" He trailed off, waving his hands around wildly.

"Wringing it, touching her face, lips and shoulders with it?" Erwin clarified.

"Yes!" Mike exclaimed.

Erwin folded his hands. "And she would look to you as if expecting a reaction or some understanding?"

"Exactly," Mike agreed. He sniffed, folding his arms. "I smell mischief, something at work." He looked at Erwin. "Do you feel like we're missing out on something? That they are laughing about us behind our backs?"

"I do believe there is something going on," Erwin confessed. "Though it must not be dreadfully important. Let the ladies have their fun."

Though, even as the words left his mouth, he realized that he could not let it go. Hanji was getting the best of him, and he wanted to know how. It irked him to no end that there was some hidden meaning to her actions, and he had yet to figure it out. He had thought about it deeply, yet he refused to outright ask her what was going on, as he had not yet figured out how to ask her in the first place.

He threw his pen on his desk, swearing as he found himself at a mental crossroads.

Mike humphed. "You want to know too, don't you?"

"What are they up to?" Erwin grumbled in response.

His office door slammed open to reveal Levi, his expression impassive. "The answers are in here," Levi said gruffly, dropping the book on Erwin's desk. "We are being toyed with." His expression was one of displeasure as he stood before Erwin.

Erwin frowned as he examined the book before opening it. He flipped through its pages before coming to a marked section. His eyes narrowed at what he read. He looked back up at Levi, who remained still. "Where did you find this?" he asked.

"Four-Eyes's laboratory," he answered. "In a locked drawer."

Erwin frowned. "You snooped through her stuff?"

"Let me rephrase that; the drawer was opened and unlocked, so it was inviting me in," he answered, shrugging. "I had to find out what she and the others were doing."

Mike ran a hand through his hair as he read over Erwin's shoulder, taking in the hidden meanings behind the handkerchiefs and gloves. "No way," he muttered, groaning. "That old man was right. She was flirting."

Levi nodded. "Oh yes."

"And here I thought I already knew how to flirt," Mike grumbled. He looked at Erwin, eyes narrowed. "This calls for retaliation."

Erwin frowned, flipping through the pages of the book. "Yes, it does."

"So what do we do?" Levi asked, watching as Erwin tore out a page of the book before closing it.

"Take the book back and place it where you found it," Erwin instructed, handing it back to Levi before folding the piece of paper he had torn out. "It is time for us to strike back."


	2. Chapter 2

"There is no way I am using that," Levi stated, arms folded as he glared stubbornly at Erwin.

Erwin raised a thick eyebrow. "Do you want to get back at the ladies, or not?"

"Of course," Levi huffed. "Just not with that!" He gestured to the offending objects Erwin was holding in his hands.

"Well," Mike started thoughtfully. "It will surely get us noticed." He picked up the object, sniffing it with barely concealed disdain. "It will also leave them flustered, which is what we want."

"Try seeing Hanji confused and befuddled," Erwin said with a smirk. "It is quite an attractive feature on her."

Levi looked up at that, debating with himself. The very thought of confusing Four-Eyes was appealing. He sighed before snatching up the last and remaining object. "Fine," he said, opening the black, ornate fan with a 'snap.' "Let us begin." He turned once more to regard Erwin. "And we are only doing this to get back at them, not flirt."

However they wished to think, flirting soon became a major part of the whole scheme. But it did not start out that way.

The new accessories the three men had acquired did raise many questions, though no one dared to ask them to their face what it was about. But that did not stop the questions behind their backs from spreading around.

Eren stared at the strange scene in front of him. Both he and Armin frowned as they watched the captain walk past them. The two boys tried to look subtle and innocent while they still continued to stare at the short man who had caught their attention.

"Um, Armin?" Eren asked.

"Hmm?" Armin asked, glancing over his shoulder as Levi stopped to converse with Eld and Gunther.

"So," Eren started. "Is it weird if one should see a man wielding a woman's fan?"

Armin shrugged, turning away from watching Levi who was fanning himself with a black and silver fan. "If it's the captain who's doing it, then probably not." He glanced at his friend. "Best not to ask though." Mikasa just hummed thoughtfully, tilting her head curiously.

"Guys!" a sudden voice exclaimed, catching their attention as they both looked up to see Sasha rush up to their table, breathless. "You will not believe what I found!"

"Meat in the commander's drawers?" Eren asked with a knowing grin as he sipped his drink.

She shook her head quickly. "No! I saw him waving an elaborate fan around!"

Eren choked on his drink while Armin looked thoughtful. "Interesting," the blond murmured.

"Is it some kind of new trend?" Mikasa wondered out loud.

"If it is, should we get fans as well?" Sasha asked.

"Forget it," Eren said, pushing his chair back. "There is no way that I am carrying around a prissy fan like some highborn woman." He paused with a small smirk. "Or like a prissy imp of a captain."

"Jaeger," a sudden, cool voice said, causing Eren to squeak as he looked up to see Levi staring down at him, grey eyes narrowed. He lightly tapped the fan in his hands, the movement both a threat and hidden message.

" _Do not be so imprudent."_

"There is a broom in my office," Levi said finally. "The halls need sweeping." With that, he turned on his heel and stalked away.

Eren and the others were not the only ones to notice something was wrong. Hanji observed her commander with a thoughtful frown. Erwin was busy speaking with Mike, though his eyes flickered over to hers every so often, and she did notice how a smirk was tugging at his lips whenever he happened to catch her watching him.

Not to mention the black fan he was twirling in his left hand.

" _We are being watched."_

Hanji knew there was a hidden meaning to his movements. Why else would he be suddenly carrying a fan around? Her suspicions grew when she walked past Erwin, their eyes locking in that instant. In that moment, Erwin grinned and placed the fan behind his head.

" _Do not forget me."_

Hanji frowned, but did not stop to converse with him as she had one destination in mind.

Her office.

Her suspicions on what was going on came forth with evidence when she flipped through the book, and a sigh of exasperation escaped her lips. But, the frustration she felt soon dissipated as a grin slowly formed on her lips.

"A challenge has been presented to us," Hanji announced when it was just her, Nanaba, and Petra in the room.

Nanaba leaned back in her seat with a frown. "How so?"

"There is a page missing from the book!" Hanji announced, dropping the book on the table. "And it just so happens to be the one on fans and flirting!"

Petra's eyes narrowed. "Really?" she said slowly, a challenge in her eyes at what this could mean. "That makes sense. Levi would not stop waving the darn thing all day."

Nanaba twirled her handkerchief, glancing back up at Hanji. "So what do we do?"

"Turn up the heat," Hanji said with a smirk. "Fight fire with fire." She touched the book that was set on the small table. "They have declared war, and it is a war they shall get!"

And a war did escalate, and it was one that left everyone else in a state of confusion.

Eld watched helplessly as Levi's attention was focused on Petra. He winced when the black fan in the captain's hand came out with a sharp 'slap.' He watched with wide eyes as Levi opened and shut the fan sharply, staring at Petra.

Eld gulped when he saw Petra's eyes narrow in answer to his silent challenge. He watched with growing dread as Petra pulled out her gloves before putting them back in her pockets.

" _I am vexed."_

Eld cleared his throat nervously, catching their attention. He had to briefly wonder if that was a mistake "So...um...will you take that as a yes, sir?"

Levi blinked, as if he just realized that Eld was there. He looked back at Petra, eyes narrowing. "Carry on."

Eld blinked, confusion showing on his face. "Okay, so as I was saying-"

"Not you," Levi said, mildly annoyed yet still not breaking his stare with Petra. "Go bother Oluo."

Eld was left blinking in shock, and he wondered if Levi was just not mentally sound anymore. After all, fighting Titans and watching your comrades die left and right had to leave at least some mental damage for Humanity's Strongest.

Eld was not the only one who was worrying about his superior's sanity. Moblit often found himself worrying over Hanji's mental state on a daily basis, but today, he started to get really concerned for her.

"Um, Squad Leader?" Moblit asked tentatively.

"What?" Hanji asked, not taking her eyes off of Erwin who was sitting on the other side of the room. Despite the distance, they had not stopped glaring at each other. Hanji had started striking her gloves over her hand, her glare intensifying with every strike.

" _I am displeased."_

In response to her actions, Erwin clasped his hands together under his open, black fan.

" _Forgive me, I pray of you."_

Hanji's eyes narrowed as she watched him. She had a faint idea of what he was saying, but she was still not too sure about her assumption. A devious smile spread across her lips. She raised the ends of her gloves to the tips of her lips, batting her eyelashes as she did so.

" _Do you love me?"_

Even though Erwin did not fully understand what Hanji was sending, he was determined to play the game she had started. He shut his fan before holding it close to his heart.

" _You have won my love."_

Hanji rose from her seat, drawinging her gloves halfway in her left hand and startling Moblit.

" _Indifferent."_

Despite the declaration of war, Nanaba and Mike were a bit more civilized when it came to their actions.

Nanaba found herself bored and with her victim. Likewise, Mike felt the same. He pushed aside his plate with his unfinished meal, fingering his fan while glancing at her. Nanaba slowly reached into her pocket and withdrew her handkerchief, aware that she had his attention. Focusing on the white cloth in her hand, she folded the handkerchief before looking back up at Mike.

" _I wish to speak with you."_

Mike smirked as he watched her movements. He opened his fan, fluttering it a bit as a thoughtful look came across his face. He then glanced back at her, resting the fan on his lips.

" _I do not trust you."_

She withdrew her gloves before smoothing them out gently in response.

" _I wish I was with you."_

Mike grinned, trying to hold in his laughter as this game went on, neither fully understanding what the other was trying to say. The sound of Nanaba's barely concealed chuckle at his intense fan waving caused him to snort in amusement. He looked to see Nanaba with her face in her hands, shoulders shaking from laughter.

Mike snapped the fan, before staring at the table intensely.

" _I like you."_

He heard Nanaba take in a deep breath in an effort to compose herself, and he felt a brief feeling of regret when faced with the fact that she could not understand what he was saying. She smiled at him as she got up from her seat, leaning in. "Sorry," she said in a hushed tone. "But I am not supposed to start relationships with the enemy. Especially Hanji's enemy." She slowly pulled back, leaving him to blink as she smirked before walking away.

"Who said anything about a relationship?" he finally called back, turning to see her waving her handkerchief over her left shoulder.

" _Farewell until we meet again."_

The flirtation code only served to grow stranger as Erwin, Levi and Mike decided to use another method to rile the girls up.

Hanji could only stare, mouth open as Levi walked by, wielding a parasol.

"What do you think you are doing?" she demanded, finding her voice as Levi held the purple accessory.

He swung around to look at her, amusement in his eyes as he held it like a true gentleman before carrying it over his right shoulder.

" _You can speak to me."_

"What's up, Four-Eyes?" he asked smoothly.

Out came the handkerchief with a loud 'whack' as she twirled it in both hands, accepting his challenge.

" _I am not interested. Get lost."_

He eyed her handkerchief, aware he was finally getting to her. "Very well, I accept your apology."

"This is not an apology!" she exclaimed, incensed. "This is me accepting your surrender."

He twirled the parasol around, disinterested. "And why would I surrender when your lines are falling and I am receiving the results I wanted?" He smirked. "Face it Four-Eyes, you should have known better then to declare war against me."

At that moment, Petra came up from behind and placed a delicate hand on Levi's shoulder, catching his attention. "Do not let this man get the best of you, Hanji," she said smoothly. Her voice dropped lower, and Hanji watched as Levi froze. "Leave him to me, and attend to your own." She twirled her handkerchief in her left hand, looking at Levi as she displayed a code that was intended for him, but one that only Hanji would know.

" _Let us set a time to meet."_

She then walked away, waving her handkerchief over her right shoulder.

" _Follow me."_

"And you should know better than to fight against the object of your affections," Hanji finally said with a smirk. She walked away, wondering what Erwin was thinking when he gave Levi a parasol. She did not want to find out what the captain could do with such a weapon.

Apparently, she was not the only one.

"Why does the captain have a parasol?" Eren asked.

"New fashion trend?" Armin offered weakly.

"New weapon," Mikasa answered dully.

They all watched as Mike was opening and closing his parasol back up, somehow looking as if he could care less how ridiculous and stupid he looked.

"Um, can he not decide if he wants it open or not?" Eren asked, blinking.

"A parasol can be very effective in combat," Mikasa stated calmly.

Eren scoffed. "How? You going to poke someone's eye out with it?"

At that moment, they all watched as Mike spun around and beat a fellow soldier with his parasol. The man's startled yelps could be heard coming from the unfortunate man. Mike stood over him, his frown fierce while everyone watched with frozen fascination.

"Like that," Mikasa stated, sounding smug.

"Is he new?" Armin asked, gesturing to the gasping man Mike had just beat senseless with a frilly parasol.

"Maybe," Eren stated. "Did he voice what we were all thinking about Mike and the parasol to Mike's face?"

"Most likely," Mikasa agreed.

"Then he deserved what he got for his foolishness," he stated, folding his arms.

Needless to say, that ended the parasol flirting battle, but not the war.

Erwin watched with faint amusement when Hanji dropped the book in front of his desk. She held her hand out, hand on her hip as she regarded him.

"The page," she said. "And you get the book."

He folded his hands, leaning in as he stared up at her. "Why?"

"So that we can all communicate equally through the language of love," she said simply. She continued to hold her hand out. "Come now. Give me the page, and I shall give you the book you defaced."

He placed a hand on the book, sliding it towards him. "But it looks like I already possess the book." He stopped when Hanji slammed her hand down in the book, meeting his intense stare.

Her eyes did not leave his as she drew her handkerchief across her lips.

" _Let's flirt with each other."_

"You want to know what that is, don't you?" she asked with a smile.

He smiled back, meeting her challenge. "I do," he said.

"Well, you'll never know what I said unless you meet my demands," she said.

"You drive a hard bargain," he said.

She hummed. "And you know a good deal when you see one."

"That I do," he agreed. "But, as a challenge, we will have you regretting this when we win," he promised.

"Oh don't be so sure," she said. "Never underestimate the power of a woman. You will all be at a loss and we will have you at our mercies, begging for a little kiss. You'll be the first to confess and all of that junk."

"Quite the opposite, in fact. And it looks like we have a bet," Erwin said reaching into his pocket and withdrawing the torn paper. "It's all yours."

"Thank you!" she chirped happily, leaping from his desk with a bright smile. She pranced out of the room, leaving him to blink at the handkerchief she was waving over her left shoulder.

" _Farewell, until we meet again."_

Once communication had been restored, the coded flirtation had been used at a high rate. Everyone was eager to use creative ways to get their message across.

Nanaba fanned herself quickly with her handkerchief, glaring at Mike who was purposefully setting her on edge as he talked to a woman. Or, he was trying to. But Nanaba really wanted to use this new line she had practiced.

" _Don't you dare flirt with that woman!"_

Mike just grinned, quickly opening and closing the fan and startling the lady he had been speaking with.

" _Jealous?"_

"Oh!" the lady exclaimed suddenly. "Who taught you that?" She grinned up at Mike as she wound her handkerchief around the third finger of her left hand.

" _I am married."_

Nanaba laughed suddenly, catching the woman's attention. "You know this?" the lady asked.

"I'm fluent in it, actually," Nanaba chortled, causing Mike to groan.

The woman beamed. "My husband hates it when I do that with my handkerchief." She nodded suddenly. "Oh, and there he is now."

"Marie," Nile said with a sigh as he approached them, glaring at Mike. "Please stay away from these vagabonds and their odd ways."

"But I think I found a kindred spirit in the art of love!" the woman, Marie, protested. She looked at Nanaba, running her fingers through her handkerchief.

" _I want to talk to you."_

Nanaba smiled, turning her handkerchief in her left hand.

" _Let's set a time to meet."_

"Oh no you don't," Mike said sharply, whisking her away. "You, Petra and Hanji are bad enough. No need to get Nile's wife involved." Nile's loud expressions of gratitude to Mike made Nanaba laugh, along with Mike's grumbling about the unfairness of being outnumbered.

Mike had finally let go of her once they were a safe distance from Nile and his wife. Nanaba finally glanced at Mike, eyes thoughtful. Mike avoided her gaze before turning to look at her fully. She watched as Mike stood before her, presenting his closed fan to her, his eyes searching hers.

" _Do you love me?"_

A brief look of surprise flickered across her face, before she looked back at him, hopeful. She did not break his stare as she reached in and pulled out her handkerchief, touching her right cheek.

" _Yes."_

After that, Mike could not stop smiling. Or, what was his version of smiling. But the meeting he was now trapped in served to make it impossible for him to feel any joy at this point. However, Hanji served to provide a distraction with their codes, and it was there Mike would watch to see what would unfold.

Levi slowly fanned his face as a pompous lord spoke about nothing that had to do with Titans and protecting the human race.

" _I can't get out."_

Hanji drew the handkerchief across her eyes. " _I am sorry."_ She then took a scrap of paper, scribbling something down before sliding it over to Levi who read it. " _We should all do something fun when this guy shuts up."_ She then twirled the handkerchief in her left hand. " _Let's set a time to meet."_

Mike's fan was partially open. " _At what hour?"_ He nodded when Hanji held up four fingers, meaning at four in the afternoon, assuming this meeting did not take that long.

"Would you stop that?" Erwin hissed, losing his focus. He was beginning to realize that it was a bad idea to have these three sitting next to each other. Hanji just grinned and drew her handkerchief across her lips.

" _Let's flirt with each other."_

Erwin's eyes narrowed. Oh no. He was not letting her win this one. He opened and shut his fan quickly.

" _You are cruel."_

But then he smirked, quickly fanning himself. If she was going to stir up trouble, then he was going to make trouble for her as well.

" _I love you so much."_

Hanji's grin widened while Levi and Mike sat back with exasperated expressions.

She folded her handkerchief up and held it in her right hand. Traditionally, this was only meant for fans, but Erwin knew what she was doing.

" _I want to be engaged."_

Erwin opened the fan before shutting it very slowly.

" _I promise to marry you."_ He noticed how Hanji was watching him intensely, eyes twinkling with barely concealed amusement. Erwin played along, smirking and holding his fan partially open once more. " _At what hour?"_

"Now," Hanji mouthed.

He shook his head, slowly fanning himself. " _I can't get out."_

"What is it, Commander?" Nile suddenly asked, smirking and catching everyone's attention. "Is it too hot for you in here?"

Erwin cleared his throat, shutting the fan while Levi coughed beside him as Mike's shoulders shook with barely concealed laughter. "No sir," he said, upset that his conversation had been interrupted. He slowly drew the fan through his hands as he stared at Nile.

" _I dislike you."_

Nile's eyes narrowed. "I have seen my wife do that move plenty of times with her handkerchiefs. I just never thought you would stoop so low as to learn a lady's ways."

Hanji sat up suddenly, glaring at the man. "Hey! Hurry up so I can go get hitched already!"

Levi snorted while Mike released his laughter as silence rang int eh meeting room. "Any chance we can end this early?" Levi asked with a bored expression. "I'm starting to count the tile on the ceiling."

After that fiasco, Erwin cornered an elusive Hanji, who was smiling innocently up at him. "So," he said. "About this engagement promise."

She smirked. "What? You were serious about that?"

Erwin's grin did not fade as he raised the handle of his fan to his lips, eyes twinkling as he did so.

" _Kiss me."_

Hanji grinned, eyes also twinkling with mischief as she pulled out her handkerchief to her left cheek, a smug look coming across her face.

" _No."_

A look of shock came across Erwin's face, causing Hanji to laugh before turning on her heel and walk away, waving her handkerchief over her right shoulder. "It's our day off, Commander." She threw a wink over her shoulder.

" _Follow me."_

"Hey Levi!" she called out suddenly. "Go get the object of your affections before this war of flirtation is over!"

"Don't tell me what to do Four-Eyes!" came the shout.

"Mike wins the bet then on who gets their first kiss," she said with a smirk.

Erwin's eyes widened. "You placed a bet?"

"On whether Levi would kiss Petra first, or you would kiss me," she said simply. "I think Levi will act first while Mike has placed his complete faith in you." She cackled as she ran out the building. "I regret nothing!"

Erwin dropped his fan in shock before chasing after her. Bet or no, he was not letting Levi beat him in this.

Levi was less subtle with his approaches, as he and Petra both got pulled into this silent flirtatious war.

He pressed the half-open fan to his lips, raising an eyebrow.

" _You may kiss me."_

She also raised an eyebrow, staring at him. "Really?" she asked, sipping her tea calmly. "That's really sudden." She calmly took her handkerchief by the center, eyeing him.

" _You are most too willing."_

His grin matched hers as he hit the table with his fan.

" _I am impatient."_

She drew the handkerchief across the eyes. "You'll have to wait," she said with a smirk.

" _I am sorry."_

He sighed, shutting the fan before staring intently at it.

" _Why do you misunderstand me?"_

Petra giggled. "I don't," she answered.

"Better hurry up," Mike said, entering the room. "Erwin just found out about the bet between me and Hanji." He shrugged. "But take your time by all means. I need the money to take Nanaba out."

Petra grinned as Levi frowned. "Oh? So it looks like I'll be playing hard to get," she said. "Hanji just might get her kiss." She nodded at Nanaba who also came in. "You confessed?"

Nanaba nodded at Mike. "He did."

Petra hummed. "So, we got Erwin chasing Hanji, Mike confessed to you, and Levi is on his knees before me for a kiss."

Levi actually looked flustered. "I am not on my knees!"

"So we won the war?" Petra continued.

Everyone froze while Nanaba and Petra looked smug. "The war?" Mike echoed.

"You three men are at our mercies," Nanaba teased, placing a light kiss on Mike's cheek.

"We…" Levi trailed off when it hit him what had happened. He groaned. "We were played."

"Yes you were," Petra sang happily.

"We were played," Mike repeated in shock, turning to glare at Nanaba who was already leaving the room to avoid his wrath. "Hey! I was not informed of this!" he shouted, chasing after her.

"Marry me Ral or I will drag you to the altar myself, you cruel devious woman," Levi growled.

Petra leaned in, catching his attention as she suddenly pulled his fan away from him, placing the handle to her lips.

" _Kiss me."_

Levi needed no more convincing as he smiled, placing his hand on the back of her neck to gently pull her towards him. She leaned in as the fan slid from her fingers in anticipation of the kiss.

The door burst open suddenly, causing Patra to jerk back startled while Levi growled in annoyance.

"Captain, I think that we need to-Oh! Sorry sir," Eren stuttered as he scrambled to back up out of the door. "We...uh...I'll be going-"

"Get out Yeager," Levi growled, his eyes flashing at him with the promise of murder in those grey eyes. "I am-" He stopped, blinking at Eren as surprise overcame annoyance. "What are you holding?" Levi demanded, staring at Eren in shock.

Eren shrugged. "It's...um...it's a fan, sir. Just like what you have." Petra watched as Levi was barely keeping his patience in as Eren struggled to work with the fan. "Yeager," he said in a low, dangerous voice. "I am going to say this once-"

"Got it!" Eren exclaimed, opening the fan and waving it around to hide his face. Petra's eyes widened as she took in the meaning of the code Eren was unknowingly displaying to his captain.

" _You are ugly."_


End file.
